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Soul Society
Soul Society (尸魂界 (ソウル・ソサエティ), literally "dead spirit world") ''is an afterlife (also called the spirit world). This is also where Shinigami live and is where most Souls dwell until they are reincarnated into the Human World. Overview Soul Society is something of a paradise, where nine out of ten times it is better than the living world and hunger is never a problem, Soul Society is far from sublime. In fact, aside from the slowed aging and aforementioned lack of hunger, life there is much like that in the living world. Soul Society consists of the Rukongai (流魂街, ''wandering soul city; Viz: Rukon District), where souls live when they arrive in Soul Society, and Seireitei (瀞霊廷, court of pure souls), which is at the center of Soul Society. The mode of life here closely resembles that of feudal Japan. The Human World and Soul Society are parallel to each other and are two sides of the same coin. Families separated by death are rarely reunited in the Soul Society unless they arrive in Soul Society together. People live nestled together like a family of strangers. One never gets hungry (if she or he doesn't have spiritual powers) and aging is slowed to a great extent, with lifespans of 2000 or more years not being unheard of, though such ages are limited to Shinigami or other Soul Society dwellers with high spiritual power. Children can be born as they are in the Human World. People can also be killed as regular Humans are, though they are capable of surviving wounds that would normally be considered fatal. A soul that dies in Soul Society is reincarnated on Earth as a new Human with no past memories. Accessing Soul Society Shinigami enter and leave Soul Society by unlocking the Senkaimon and using a Jigokuchō. Pluses, on the other hand, enter Soul Society through the ritual of Soul Burial. When people die, they are assigned a number to a part of Soul Society according to when they died. Spirits can be born in Soul Society as much as in the living world, with the Shinigami acting to balance the souls. Intruders can pass through the Senkaimon in the same manner, but only in soul form. This allows spiritual beings, such as Ichigo in his Shinigami form, to enter without permission. Humans can also use such a gate through the use of Reishihenkanki (霊子変換機, spirit exchangers), which convert solid matter into Reishi's. Finally, Hollows can also directly rip a hole to Soul Society from Hueco Mundo, or in the case of Arrancar, using a Garganta. Government Soul King Soul Society is ruled by the Soul King, who commonly leaves the running of Soul Society to the Central 46 Chambers and Nobles. The Soul King lives in the Royal Palace in a separate dimension in the very core of Soul Society, which is protected by the Royal Guard. The King does have a specific system of "specialty duties" which are actively carried out but the exact nature of these duties is unknown. The dimension can only be opened with a tri-pronged golden key fittingly named the Royal Key (王鍵, ōken). The location of this Royal Key is passed down verbally from one Gotei 13 Captain-Commander to the next, the current holder being Kashikoi Ryu. Nobility Another part of the government are the Noble Houses, especially the four Great Noble Houses, which are considered to be the highest of them all. The lower noble houses all serve one of the four each. Judiciary Central 46 (中央四十六, Chūō Shijūroku): The Central 46 serve the Shinigami royalty. They are made up of 40 wise men and 6 judges, selected from all of Soul Society. They are sealed into an enclave in Seireitei called Seijōtōkyorin (清浄塔居林) which no one else may enter, regardless of their military or civilian status. They act as a supreme judiciary organization whose authority puts it in direct control of the legal system. They handle all rulings on Shinigami and souls who have violated prohibitions. Their orders are absolute and no decision has been known to be overturned. Laws *The ultimate law is to maintain balance. *It is against the law for a Shinigami to give their spiritual power to Humans. *It is against the law for any citizen of Soul Society to create weapons of a dangerous nature not sanctioned by the feudal government. To do so is treason. *It is against the law to attack a captain. To do so is treason. *It is against the law to commit terrorist action(s) or attempt overthrow of the balance of Soul Society. To do so is treason. *It is against the law to commit murder. *It is against the law to kill a Human that a Shinigami has not been ordered to kill. *It is forbidden for a Shinigami to acquire or attempt to gain Hollow-like powers. *It is a crime for a Shinigami to remain in the Human World longer than a certain time limit. *It is against the law for the Gotei 13 to meddle in the affairs of the noble families unless the family in question breaks one of the laws of Soul Society beyond a shadow of a doubt. *It is by ancient law that two Shinigami cannot hold the same Zanpakutō. They must fight for the honor of bearing the spirit, with the spirit going to the winner, and the loser being executed. *It is forbidden for a Shinigami to intervene in anything that is related to Hell. Artifact Equipment and Possessions Law *It is against the law to own, use, or possess any artifact or ancient equipment not Sanctioned by the Sereitei. All discovered artifacts must be reported to 2nd and 7th squad and the Taichos of both squads can authorize their use. Failure to turn in or report an artifact will result in the object being confiscated. OOC Note: Any DM may allow the usage for the artifact for the length of the event. Following the end of the event the decision to allow it is up to the Shinigami DM. -It is against the law to own, use, or possess an item which can replicate Hollow Powers, this will be viewed as acquiring Hollow Powers. Tresspassing Law *Let it be clear, that trespassing inside of a squad house should not be a common occurance. My first act as taicho of 2nd squad is to reinforce this concept to all shinigami. *As such, the first squad houses that have a no visitor policy are 2nd, 7th, 8th, 12th, and 13th squad. This simply means that should you wish to enter the squad houses you must first contact an existing member for an escort. Stealth abilities are not permitted within the academy confines. This does not apply if you are there for taicho related business but is done merely to impress upon you that you need to respect your fellow shinigami's privacy. *As always, a Taicho may grant a special allowance in this regard. But let this be understood, theft is a serious crime, and the technological advances in 12th squad are not for the use of all shinigami and should you wish such things provided to you, then you must speak to the Captain or lieutenant of 12th squad. *There is ample provisions for all shinigami in the compound on Earth should you need them. *Do not let any member of 2nd catch anyone inside of the squad houses when they are not on taicho's business and make sure all of your subordinates are aware of this fact. *(Small print) 6th squad being the Seireitei Defense Squad are always allowed within the confines of the squad houses as to properly maintain security and of course check for breaches. Release and Training Law *It is illegal for a shinigami who is not a lieutenant or Captain to release a zanpakuto outside of the main arena or a squad-house without their Captain's permission this includes using a shikai that is permanently released. In case of an insurgent attack, shikai is authorized to be used. Bankai requires the permission from sixth squad or the ranking Taicho on the scene. *In the event of full release type zanpakuto they may be worn, though they may not be used outside of either the main arena or a squad-house with their Captain's permission. *It is illegal to use offensive kidou outside of the main arena, or your own squadhouse. Reido and barriers are authorized to be used at any time regardless of their number. Binds are restricted to being used for law enforcement purposes, misuse is on a case by case basis but generally a non harmful bind is allowed to be used by any shinigami to deal with situations escalating into violence. *You must never attempt to bind a shinigami of a higher seat then you, unless you are ordered to do so by your Taicho or other ranking officers on the scene. For the purposes of training kidou is authorized in all locations in the Gotei 13, however be aware that physical harm caused will violate the laws and both the teacher and the student will be punished. *It is illegal to have unmonitored training and sparring within public areas of the Seretei. Sparring must be preformed in appropriated areas, examples are; Training Academy Fields, Training Arena, Main Arena, and Squad Houses. Seireitei Function *It is against the law to harm, kill, or injure a Shinigami without consent or order from a superior officer. It is discouraged to cause unnecessary harm, death, or injury to subordinates as a form of discipline, however it is not illegal. In the most extreme cases commanding officers or the court will determine the intent of the action, which in turn may result in disciplinary action. *2nd squad members may deem appropriate violence and use whatever means they feel necessary to resolve a situation and detain a criminal. A Taicho is always authorized to act in their best judgement, but their actions are answerable only to the Soutaicho. *It is against the law to associate with anyone who is an enemy of the state. *It is against the law to give exiles our technology (inventions, etc). *It is against the law to receive technology from exiles. *It is against the law to teach or receive lessons from exiles or deserters. offense. *It is against the law to assist an exile or deserter against a fellow shinigami. *It is against the law to assist an exile or deserter against a Captain. Earthbound Laws: *It is against the law to assault any member of the Earthbound races, human, quincy, exile or deserter, the exception is if the individual is identified as working with Hollows, arrancar or Bount. As always self defense is justified, and you may take any actions necessary with the above situations but make sure there is either proof, or witnesses to back up your claims. *Anyone found working with Hollows, arrancar or bounts or tresspassing within any confines of Soul Society must be reported to the Soutaicho and 1st squad. Based on their actions, this may strip them of laws protecting them. Habitual Offender Clause *In an effort to maintain order in the Seireitei, when a unseated shinigami continues to act in an unlawful and disrespectful manner a precident exists that authorizes the taicho of the squad they belong to, 2nd squad, as well as 9th squad taicho to sit down and discuss their being stripped of rank and placed back inside of the Academy. *In order to qualify 2/3 of the taichos in question must approve this transfer, and there must be existing evidence against the shinigami in question that indicates insubordination, and/or assault charges since graduation. The squad taicho may of course appeal the decision to 1st squad to have their shinigami reinstated, should they wish to overrule the vote of the other taichos. Kidou Teaching Restrictions A prespecified list of restricted kidou will be displayed, and updated by 2nd squad. When a shinigami teaches or learns these kidous they will be punished based on the number of kidou learned, as well as how many times they have broken the law. This punishment is given to both the teacher of the kidou, as well as the student. If the student refuses to give up the teacher, they will suffer a double punishment. Uniform Guidelines: The Shinigami uniform consists of a jet black Shinigami Gi (upper part of the robes) with a black Hakama (lower part of the robes) underneath, held up by a white sash (belt). It is illegal to alter this uniform, however, minor details can be added to distinguish oneself from others. The Shinigami uniform is a formal wear, one that is carried with pride and honor. Taichous and Fukutaichous may choose to alter their uniforms to purpose their needs, but must be regulated and approved by the Soutaichou himself. Third Seat and below must at all times wear their uniforms. Shinigami of Second Squad, Fourth Squad, Tenth Squad and Twelfth have authorized uniforms for on-duty purposes. The standard uniform is, as always, mandatory when off-duty. 'Punishment' Kidou teaching restriction punishments: Minimum Punishments. *Kidou 1-20: 1 day jail, 1 week no learning, community service time spent assisting the shinigami/squad they belong to. Earth access only allowed on level 3 alerts for 1 week. *Kidou 21-40: 2 days jail time, 2 weeks no learning and community service to creator’s squad. *Kidou 41-60: Earth access only allowed on level 4 alerts for 2 weeks. 3 days jail time, 3 weeks no learning and community service to creator’s squad. *Kidou 61+: Loss of earth access for 3 weeks.1 week in jail. 2 months of no learning kidou, community service to creator’s squad. Loss of earth access, community service teaching kidou to 9th squad. Restricted Techniques - Shunko *2 weeks in jail, four months of no learning kidou. Community service to 2nd squad. Loss of Earth access for four months, community service assisting 9th squad with teaching. *1st Offense: Normal community service time. *2nd Offense: Double community service time. *3rd Offense: Prohibited from learning any kidou until authorized by 2nd squad taicho or the taicho of the squad the kidou belonged to forgives them. * Spirit-Sealing Pit: The Spirit-Sealing Pit is an ancient form of execution in which Shinigami criminals are thrown into a pit walled with sekki sekki rock – a type of stone that absorbs spiritual power, preventing those nearby from using their powers. Hollows are then thrown into the pit with the criminals as the means of execution. The practice was considered too barbaric and discontinued. The Spirit-Sealing Pits were converted into garbage dumps. * Sōkyoku (双殛, Twinned Punishment): The "ultimate punishment", Sōkyoku is a form of execution usually reserved for those with extremely strong spiritual powers, namely Shinigami captains. The Sōkyoku is a giant halberd that utterly destroys a soul on contact. When released, Sōkyoku takes on the form of a phoenix, its true form, called Kikōō. The Kikōō has the destructive power of a million Zanpakutō, and that power is multiplied by a factor of 10 at the moment it pierces its victim. Military The armed forces of Soul Society consist of three independent main branches: the Gotei 13, the Kidō Corps and the Onmitsukidō. Gotei 13 The is Gotei 13 (護廷十三隊, goteijūsantai; 13 Division Imperial Guards, or 13 Court Guard Squads in the English dubbed version) the organization which most Shinigami join. It is split into thirteen divisions (hence the name), with several divisions having certain specializations. The 4th Division is the medical/supply division, the 11th Division is the combat division (specialization in swordsmanship), and the 12th Division is the research/scientific division. The 9th Division is in charge of newspaper and magazine-related duties. It's unclear if the other divisions are specialized, as the four above are the only ones who receive any significant attention apart from their members. Additionally, it should be noted that the 2nd Division Captain is in often charge of both the 2nd Division and the Onmitsukidō. Royal Guard Also known as the Zero Division, it is made up of former captains of the Gotei 13 who have been promoted to this level. Only captains of the Gotei 13 know of their existence. They are said to have considerable power and tactical knowledge. Only the Royal family presides over them, the Central 46 have no say in them what so ever. Kidō Corps There is currently little information on the Kidō Corps (鬼道衆, kidōshū), due to the secrecy in which they operate. Onmitsukidō The Onmitsukido is a sub-section ghost cell of the Gotei 13, often controlled by the Captain Commander directly, with orders being passed down directly to the leader of the Onmitsukidō. Technology Level One of the more unusual aspects of Soul Society is its technology level. While the lifestyle and culture of Soul Society is comparable to feudal Japan, they possess technology of a level exceeding that time period. The Shinigami Research Institute has developed amazing technology to their credit, mixing technology with organic components. Allowing for the creation of creatures that do everything from detecting spiritual energy signatures to allowing Humans to see a spirit without the use of a Gigai. They possess touch-screens and databases which are in use for files and historical documentation storage found extensively in the Daireishokairo (大霊書回廊, Great Spirit Book Gallery), which contains all the knowledge and history of Soul Society. View screen technology that is capable of sending signals to the Human World and Dangai, allowing for face to face conferencing. All manner of portable hand-held devices for tracking and communication purposes. Blending old traditions and ideas with new innovation, Soul Society is an enigma in this comparison. In some cases, more recently, they have shown to exceed some normalised human technology and are capable of great scientific achievements. Rukongai Rukongai (流魂街, wandering soul city) is the largest portion of Soul Society and the most populated. It is divided into 320 districts (80 in North Rukongai, 80 in West Rukongai, 80 in South Rukongai, 80 in East Rukongai) Seireitei Seireitei (瀞霊廷, court of pure souls) is in the center of Soul Society, a circular shiro with four main entrances, each guarded by a Gatekeeper. The walls of Seireitei are made of stone called Sekkiseki (殺気石, spirit reducing stone), a material known to negate all Reiryoku, similar to magnetic lodestones. The stone also forms a spherical barrier around the city which stops anything spiritual from breaching it. Navigation *Sereitei *Gotei 13 *Shinigami *Zanjutsu *Kidō *Noble Houses